The subject invention relates to a vehicle door assembly, and more particularly to a vehicle door assembly wherein the connection rods for a latch assembly are preassembled and retained within the door assembly such that the inner door handle is aligned with the rods to facilitate attachment of the inner door handle and the rod.
It is known in the art to produce a motor vehicle door having an inner panel and an outer panel that define an opening therebetween.
It is also known in the art to include within the space between the inner and outer panel door hardware items such as reinforcements, window regulators, door latches, inside door handles and radio speakers.
Various modules that include subassemblies for the door hardware outlined above have been utilized in the art to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process. Such modules can be pretested for quality to assure that the components are functioning properly before installation into the vehicle door.
Connecting rods may be utilized to connect a latch assembly with an inner door handle to facilitate actuation of the lock and latch assemblies. It is known in the art that flexible connection cables may be utilized in lieu of connecting rods to attach the latch mechanism with an inner door handle. However, flexible cable connections significantly increase the cost associated with connecting a latch mechanism and an inner door handle.
During the manufacturing process of a vehicle door assembly, problems arise when attaching the latch mechanisms to the inner door handle, including bent connecting rods, as well as significant assembly time associated with connecting the items on an assembly line. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a vehicle door assembly that includes connecting rods that are positioned in the space defined by the outer and inner panels such that the rod assemblies are not bent during installation into a door assembly and the rods are correctly positioned to facilitate easy installation.
A vehicle door assembly including an outer panel and an inner panel which define a space. There is also included a trim panel that has an inner door handle assembly integrally formed therewith. The trim panel is positioned on an inside of the inner panel in the assembly process. There is also included at least one rod positioned within the space and having a first end connected to a latch and a second end connected to the inner door handle assembly. The rod is retained within a clip proximate to the second end of the rod. The clip allows for longitudinal movement of the rod while retaining the rod in two dimensions other than the longitudinal dimension. When the trim panel is positioned in relation to the inner panel during the assembly process, the inner door handle assembly is aligned with the second end of the rod to facilitate attachment of the inner door handle assembly and rod.
In an alternative embodiment, the latch and rod assemblies may be preassembled in a door module, that may be pretested before insertion into the door assembly.
The vehicle door assembly of the present invention has the advantage of providing a latch and connecting rod mechanism that is positioned such that attachment to an inner door handle does not require significant manipulation by an operator in an assembly line.
The vehicle door assembly of the present invention has the further advantage of providing a latch and connecting rod mechanism that facilitates engagement with an inner door handle without the bending of the connection rods.
The vehicle door assembly of the present invention has the further advantage of providing a cost-effective rod mechanism that does not require expensive flexible cable connections.